Rio Gringa

Five Reasons Why "Narcos" Is a Game-Changer

Netflix's "Narcos" has a lot of people talking. Starring the magnificent Brazilian actor Wagner Moura and co-produced and partially directed by Brazilian José Padilha, the show focuses on Colombia but carries an indelible Brazilian imprint. There have been a variety of complaints about the show, but I think it's a great watch and an important jumping-off point for shows and movies about Latin America for a global audience. Here's why.

5. Almost half of it is in Spanish - even if the accents are off.

There's been a lot of complaining about Moura's Brazilian accent in Spanish, and the potpourri of other accents among the Spanish-speaking cast. But the fact that it's in Spanish at all is a huge improvement over many U.S. productions where the cast speaks English, even though they're supposed to be Russian or French or Mexican. There's been hesitation to thrust subtitles on American audiences, but since Netflix is betting on global viewers, it took the risk, and I think it paid off well. I understand how annoying the accent issue must be for Colombians, but a lot of viewers likely didn't notice, especially because Moura is so great (and terrifying).

4. Its docudrama format uses a huge amount of actual events and people, including layers of historic footage.

One of the complaints about the show relates to the mentions of magical realism. I get that it's clichéd, but I think it drives at the idea that truth is often stranger than fiction, and it's in this realm that Padilha - who directed the documentary Bus 174 and the Elite Squad docudramas - thrives. Moral relativism, the blurred line between good and evil, and the intersection of violence and power are all very much part of his wheelhouse, and they're what make "Narcos" so compelling. Padilha favors this format because he seems invested in educating audiences in addition to entertaining them.

For those interested in learning more about Colombia during Escobar's height, The Two Escobars and Sins of My Father are highly recommended.

 

3. "Narcos" addresses American intervention in Latin America in an interesting and nuanced way, and it reminds us that the drug war is truly global.

It's rare to see a blockbuster TV show or movie address American interventionism in Latin America well. One of the best things about "Narcos" is not only using historical facts, but ensuring that the Americans in the story aren't seen as the heroes, sweeping in to aid the "helpless" locals. (This is likely because of the amount of Latin Americans involved in producing and directing the series, another important factor to point out.) Not only do we learn about U.S. involvement in Colombia's drug war, but we also learn about U.S. support of Pinochet in Chile, as well as very relevant issues of torture and surveillance.

 

While the show focuses on Colombia, viewers get a glimpse of how the cocaine trade expanded its global reach. After the show came out, I found out that a man in the neighborhood where I grew up was jailed for running an airline ferrying cocaine from Colombia to the U.S.

2. It drives home the idea that what happened to Colombia could happen in other Latin American countries.

Colombia is uniquely geographically positioned for the cocaine trade to have flourished there: neighboring coca-growing countries, having a climate where coca could grow, and being relatively close to the U.S., among other factors.

But the show's highlight of the fact that Chile was initially a cocaine-trafficking hotspot is a relevant one. Drug trafficking and its funding of organized crime has affected all Latin American countries, and while Colombia is still a major player, ground zero of drug trafficking in the Americas has moved to Mexico and Central America. Watching the show, I can easily imagine spin-offs series in other Latin American countries, even Brazil. Padilha himself reportedly left his home in Rio de Janeiro and moved to Los Angeles after getting fed up with armed violence.

1. The series illustrates what Colombians endured and continue to endure in their daily lives and in forming a national identity.

Colombians are the heroes in this series: not only the leaders who stood up to the traffickers but also the regular people who dealt with the consequences of the drug war. To me, that's one of the strongest elements of the show and one that transcends Hollywood stereotypes.

I think it also helps global audiences understand why the drug war has affected Colombians' view of themselves and the shame and trauma they feel having lived through the worst of the violence. It's hard to be a Colombian abroad because of the stigma attached to the drug war, meaning Colombians have faced more stringent visa requirements and humiliations when crossing borders. There's a powerful moment in the series featuring presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán and part of a real speech he gave:

"We're changing the Colombian people's consciousness...so that never again will any Colombian feel ashamed when he shows his country's passport."

 

The show focuses on some of Colombia's worst historical moments, but it provides so much historical context that it really helps people understand what the country went through and the incredible corrupting power of drug money. It really makes one think: what if this had been your country?

Novelas and Brazil's New Middle Class

Shoppers in Rio's Bangú neighborhood

Two of Brazil's recent primetime TV shows feature the country's rising star of the moment: the new middle class. Cheias de Charme, or Full of Charm, just concluded a five-month run in at 7 p.m., receiving an average viewership of 34 points, higher than recent novelas in the same time slot. Avenida Brasil, Globo's 9 p.m. novela, ends in several weeks and enjoys a large viewership, reaching up to 65 percent of Brazilian TVs. The fact that two of the most watched television programs on Brazil's most watched television network showcased this group is telling, with a number of interesting implications. 

Traditionally, novelas were aspirational, often starring wealthy characters. Now, with the two novelas this year, they're intended to be relatable, a reflection of the tens of millions from the C class, or the new middle class. "When we portrayed poor people, they were always dreaming of leaving their suburbs and striking it rich. But now we want to show a place that, in spite of being poor, is cheerful and warm, a place where there can be prosperity,” Ricardo Waddington, coordinator of Avenida Brasil told Folha de São Paulo. Showing members of the new middle class flourishing represents a new type of aspiration. "Here in Brazil, there's a real problem in understanding how the lower middle class thinks. This lower class doesn't hold up the elite as a model. The reference for these people is not the rich, but rather the neighbor who succeeded," Renato Meirelles, CEO of Data Popular--a marketing firm specializing in the middle and lower classes--told the AP.

 

In some ways, the novelas are glorifying parts of Brazilian culture long considered inferior by the upper class. The two novelas offer insight into what the new middle class is like: how they dress, speak, and consume--or at least, Globo's vision of these elements. The novelas prominently feature working class neighborhoods, as well as using types of music popular with the new middle class like pagode and forró. Avenida Brasil's costume designer went out to Rio suburbs Bangú and Madureira for inspiration, as well as incorporating what singers and soccer players from working-class neighborhoods wear.

 The shows have used aggressive marketing both during commercials and offscreen for the new middle class. Commercials during the show target the C class, with everything from electronics stores to what one could call shoe porn:

 

As with many novelas, the products used on the show become must-have items, particularly for women, and despite featuring new middle class styles, Avenida Brasil is no exception. Pants and jewelry worn by the Suelen character have been a hit across the country. Globo licensed six lines of products made up for 50 items from Avenida Brasil alone. Riding on the metro in Rio, you can spot an ad labeled "Da TV para você" (from the TV to you), advertising hair products featured on the novela. You can even see ads on some of Rio's highways advertising the Guadalupe Mall as featured on Avenida Brasil.

Targeting the new middle class is an important marketing strategy, given the group's buying power and what the new middle class is purchasing. A recent IBGE study found that the C class spends more money on durable goods like cars, home appliances, and medicine than on food, education, and culture. The C class also helped drive Brazil's credit boom, and in Rio, one can buy a coconut or a meat skewer from a street vendor with a credit or debit card in some cases. As a result, the new middle class is quickly racking up debt; a September Kantar Worldpanel survey found that of Brazil's five social classes (ranging from A, the wealthiest to E, the poorest), the C class is the only one in which people spend more than they earn.

But being the center of one of the country's most watched shows doesn't mean that the traditional middle class or the upper class are celebrating the ascension of millions of Brazilians into the C class.

In fact, there's evidence that some are uncomfortable with this social group--long considered relegated to the outskirts of large cities and outside of spaces frequented by the the well-off--suddenly having money and access. This conflict has been obvious, particularly in places like airports where members of the new middle class rarely set foot before. But now it's statistically proven: a Data Popular survey found that a large portion of the wealthier sectors of Brazil are unhappy with the new middle class. The study showed that 55 percent of upper class consumers believe products should have separate versions "for the rich and the poor"; 48 percent believe the quality of services declined with the rise of the new middle class; 50 percent prefer going to places occupied by members of the "same social class"; 16 percent believe "poorly dressed" people should be barred from certain places; and 26 percent believe subways would bring "undesirables" to their neighborhoods. You also need look no further than Classe Média Sofre, a blog that details some of these tensions the traditional middle class and upper classes have with the new middle class.

"You're seeing people going to the theater or taking a flight for the first time ever, and the first time is very important," Marcelo Neri, head of research institute Ipea and Brazil's new middle class guru told O Público. "But it's a class that isn't accustomed to reading. This creates prejudice from the upper class. There's class conflict at the airports, since the elite always had empty airports to themselves. The new middle class makes them uncomfortable. Culturally, there are a lot of things happening but it's not traditional culture. It's in the periphery of cities."

The novelas may also include less obvious subtext about new middle class culture. Avenida Brasil writer João Emanuel Carneiro described the so-called "poor-rich" characters on the show as those who are "simple people who became rich but maintained their suburban ways." In describing how these characters figure into the show, columnist Mauricio Stycer points out the protagonist's "more subtle objective is to...'civilize' the poor-rich." Será?

Photo: Luiz Fernando Reis

Just a Kiss

Much ado has been made about Globo's decision to cut a scene of a gay kiss from one of its most popular novelas, watched by millions across Brazil. When writers announced their intention to include the scene, there was an immediate backlash, and Globo execs nixed the idea. Allegedly, one of the main reasons was not necessarily that Brazilians weren't "ready" to see a gay couple kiss, but that advertisers would threaten to remove commericals during primetime slots. But it's not the first time it's happened. As Anderson Antunes wrote about the episode on South American Way:

"It’s at least the fifth time that Globo has bowed down to conservative pressures and back-peddled on decisions to air homosexual content. At one point Globo went so far as to censor a scene from an episode of The Simpsons in which Homer Simpson kisses his long-time friend Moe."

But last week, in what some believe is the writers' way of avenging their censorship, the show took a different turn: one of the gay characters was beaten to death by a gang of homophobes. (Globo has removed the few videos that were uploaded to Youtube.)

The chilling scene wasn't just an indictment of censorship; it unfortunately reflected reality. Beatings of gays, or of people attackers believe to be gay, continually appear in the news. The most recent case was of a young man who was attacked in downtown Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight by a group of men who thought he was gay. But one of the most publicized cases was that of a father and son who were attacked in São Paulo state in July, since attackers believed them to be a gay couple. The father was brutally beaten until he passed out, and during the attack screamed "He's my son! He's my son!" When he woke up, part of his ear had been torn off, supposedly from human teeth. He had an initial surgery to address injuries to his ear, but will need several plastic surgeries to repair the tissue, and the victim says he probably will not be able to afford them. Meanwhile, police apprehended two suspects, who were brought in and questioned, and one confessed, though he claimed the crime "wasn't motivated by sexual discrimination." Despite the confession, a judge ruled not to imprison the two aggressors, who have now been freed. After the incident, the father commented, "Is it possible that a father can't hug his son?"

 

Though Brazil's highest court legalized gay unions in May, public opinion has not dramatically shifted. An Ibope survey from July found that 55 percent of Brazilians are against gay civil unions. It also found that 55 percent of Brazilians are against gay couples adopting children. Unsurprisingly though, the survey found that those most accepting of gay unions are those with higher levels of education, higher income levels, and those who live in more developed areas of the country. Also, women were more likely than men to accept gay unions. The biggest influencing factor seemed to be age: 60 percent of 16 to 24 year-olds said they supported gay unions, compared to 39 percent of those between age 40 and 49 and only 27 percent of those 50 and older.

After the STF's historic decision, conservative groups began planning. The right wing Democrats Party proposed a bill in the São Paulo city council to create a "Heterosexual Pride Day" as a counter to the city's Gay Pride celebrations. As Andrew Downie wrote in the Christian Science Monitor:

"[Carlos Apolinário, the man who proposed the bill] did, however, feel compelled to make a symbolic move to shore up Brazil’s eroding “morals." Mr. Apolinário, who has the support of Brazil’s powerful Protestant church lobby, said, 'The creation of Heterosexual Day does not symbolize a struggle against gays but against what I believe are excesses and privileges.'"

Gay rights groups are up in arms, and argue that the proposed "holiday" was "in extremely poor taste." Then this past week, hackers attacked the Apolinário's site, making it redirect to a page protesting the bill and describing abuses against gays in Brazil.

But does it really matter what plot lines Globo uses in novelas, especially in reference to tolerance? There's evidence that novelas may have an impact on changing attitudes, and even on development. An Inter-American Development Bank study found that women living in regions with access to Globo had "significantly lower fertility" than women without access to Globo, and concluded that women tended to model their families after novela characters, who had fewer children. The effect was strongest amongst women with lower incomes, and those with similar ages to the novela characters.

It's very hard to tell what kind of impact Globo could have by featuring more positive scenes of gay couples. But it seems inevitable, and it's only a matter of time before network executives realize that audiences are ready for whatever keeps them coming back to watch six nights a week.

Brazil: A Racial Paradise?

PBS recently began a fantastic new series called "Black in Latin America," hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr, a well known African American scholar and writer. I was surprised to discover that I learned more in the Brazil episode than I did in the Dominican Republic episode, and considering the complexity of Brazilian race relations, I thought they did a great job.

The Brazil episode, entitled Brazil: A Racial Paradise? focuses not only on history, but also on identity, culture, and stereotypes. Gates travels to Bahia, Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro to interview professors, activists, cultural icons, and historians to learn about Brazil's complicated history of race and to discover if there is such a thing as a racial democracy. Naturally, it's hard to fit so much information into just an hour, but it was very well done. On the website, they also put together a brief timeline about slavery and race relations:

One of the best things about the series? All of the episodes are available free online (at least for now). Watch the full episode right here!

Watch the full episode. See more Black in Latin America.

 What did you think?

 

Note: I will be taking a break from blogging for a week, so I won't be approving comments until Saturday, May 21st. Sorry for the delay!

Brazil on 60 Minutes

60 Minutes did a profile on Brazil, which is a bit like a watered down version of Brazil on the Rise aimed at Americans who know almost nothing about South America. It's also a glowing review of Lula and his government and Eike Batista and his projects, as well as evidence of one CBS cameraman's whimsical trip around Rio.

It's basically everything you all already know about Brazil condensed into 13 minutes of a lot B-roll footage. The majority of it rehashed most of what the American media has already written or produced; one of the only factual problems I saw was about the vehicle attacks during the week of violence in Rio (it wasn't just "near the sooccer stadiums" that they were burning vehicles, including both cars and buses). In any event, the interviews with Lula, Eike Batista, and Eduardo Bueno are fun to watch, so have a look:

 

http://riogringa.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/12/hostile-takeover.html

Brazil on American TV

Brazil in American popular culture tends to follow the usual stereotypes, as does much of Latin America. It's much more convenient to use themes and plots that people are familiar with than presenting a completely realistic view, not to mention keeping as much Spanish or Portuguese out of the dialogue as possible - god forbid that Americans have to read subtitles.

While there are exceptions - there is a ton of Spanish spoken on Dexter and Weeds, for example - when you turn on the TV in the US, you'll be hard pressed to find themes about Latin America that aren't related to drugs, crime, or sexy women. Even Ugly Betty, based on the popular Colombian novela, is rapidly coming to an end mostly due to bad writing, but in my opinion, also due to sticking to many of the same Latino stereotypes other shows do. Sometimes, though, there are small, positive glimpses: V, ABC's remake of the 80s alien show, stars a fantastic Brazilian-born actress who got the chance to speak a little Portuguese at the beginning of the season, when there were brief shots of Rio.

Then, there are shows that take real-life occurrences and turn them into Hollywood crap. Take, for example, the most recent episode of Law and Order, that mixed together the Climategate e-mail scandal, the Balloon Boy incident, and more importantly, the Goldman case. The basic plot is that an American woman divorces her husband and kidnaps their child to Brazil, where she marries a Brazilian scientist. The scientist goes to the US for a climate conference, and then the plot gets Law and Order-y. With all of these different plot lines, the "ripped from the headlines" episode, ironically broadcast on NBC, does very little justice to the many left behind parents who followed the Goldman case (in fact, the fictional kidnapped child's name is Nicole, the same name of the daughter of an American LBP being held in Brazil). Don't try to hard to find the episode online - it's pretty dumb (not to mention it doesn't help LBPs' reputation in the least). 

What do you think of Brazil and Latin stereotypes on American TV?

Port-au-Who?

Recently I got hooked on Dexter,  and last night, I spotted something weird when they showed a brief shot of what was supposed to be Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Odd, considering that in Port-au-Prince the wealthy live high on the hills, not at sea level, and considering the scene looks an awful lot like one of the favelas in Flamengo or Catete, looking out over Flamengo, Urca, the Cagarras Islands, Guanabara Bay and the Sugarloaf. Ou seja, Rio de Janeiro.

Nice try, Showtime!